Coach

:This article is about vehicles called coaches. For other meanings of the word, see coach (disambiguation).

Motor coach

In British English and Australian English, the term coach is also used to refer to a large motor vehicle for conveying passengers. It is similar to a bus but usually more comfortable and designed for longer-distance travel or touring. The term coach appears in the formal names of many such firms in the US, though most people still call them bus lines.

Related Topics:
British English - Australian English - Bus

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The main differences come from the facts that passengers of a motor coach are not considered potential vandals, and that a coach service is in competition with other means of long-distance travel. Thus most often coaches have upholstered seats, carry a toilet, and are air-conditioned. Fitments have come to resemble those of an airliner, with storage bins for carry-on luggage and individual lighting which enables passengers to sleep. There is even luggage storage below the floor, accessible from outside panels, just as in an airliner.

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A bus also has has the differences resulting from having to take on and discharge many passengers for very short runs. They often have both front and rear doors, which open in an accordion fashion. There are more and larger untinted windows for passengers both standing and sitting to watch for their stop, and devices to alert the driver for this purpose. Buses also either carry a conductor or else have a fare bin near the driver. Many have advertisements both in the interior and on the outside. Coaches do not have these things.

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